Letters: How to reform the NHS

How to reform the NHS

Sir: During the pandemic I and millions of others went out every week and clapped for the NHS (‘National health disservice’, 8 July). But if you’ve experienced it lately, it’s a dystopian nightmare. Appointments regularly cancelled, paperwork missing, 1950s administration. It appears the only thing being managed at the NHS is its decline. A working group of trusted business leaders should consider ‘best practice’ at excellent private and public hospitals in the UK and across Europe, and implement reform of the service immediately. The Tories don’t have the bottle or anyone with the talent to get this under way. All the reform talk is coming from Labour, and at the election this will cost the Tories dear.

Joe Hanson

Preston, Lancashire

Health wealth

Sir: Kate Andrews explains that the NHS performs very well in international comparisons of health spending as a percentage of GDP. But this doesn’t allow for the size of GDP, nor how many people there are sharing the health spend between them. In terms of health spend in dollars per person, the NHS is in about 15th place, significantly behind countries such as Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Norway, where expenditure is at least a quarter more per capita.

Trevor Cooper

Arundel, West Sussex

Whose English?

Sir: Charles Moore (Notes, 8 July) refers to arguments over the name of the Queen’s English Society. In September 2021 (a year before her late Majesty’s death) we voted by a large majority to remain as the Queen’s English Society. But since the accession of King Charles III, several members, including N.M. Gwynne, have said we should become the King’s English Society. Other members argue for no change. To slightly misquote the musical: ‘We are reviewing the situation.’ We welcome new members, royal or non-royal, from all over the world who share our interest in good English.